A much anticipated milestone in the renovation of Walton Arts Center: Starr Theater is open! This week, Starr Theater re-opened for the education performance, Digging Up Arkansas. Students from throughout Northwest Arkansas are the very first to experience a show in this newly expanded space. Education is at the forefront of what we do, and we cannot imagine a better way to debut this space than with our wonderful students and teachers that we strive to serve throughout the school year.

Children entering the new Starr Theater.

Prior to the renovation, programming opportunities were limited in Starr Theater due to inadequate backstage space. As the size of large touring shows increased, so did the need for backstage space, forcing Starr Theater to be turned into a storage closet for nearly 1/3 of the calendar year. When Walton Arts Center opened for the 2015-2016 season, the new backstage spaces had been completed. These new spaces include a large wardrobe room to hold costumes, wigs and makeup that were often housed in Starr Theater prior to the renovation. Adding these much needed spaces will allow Walton Arts Center to continue to grow and expand with the community.

Starr Theater during a large production prior to the renovation.

Moving forward, Walton Arts Center hopes to use this renovated space to program, allowing the venue to function as a two-theater facility year round. Join us for the first public show in Starr Theater, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, next week. Below you can see the new entrance to Starr as well as the theater's new windows overlooking the future Underwood Family Plaza. We are so excited for the next chapter and to fully finish our renovation by November 2016. Hope to see you soon at Walton Arts Center!

To learn more about the expansion and how you can Play a pART, please visit our expansion webpage!